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Hobby Week–Baking

Hmmm, Hobby Week was a little sparse. Maybe I should make this Hobby Fortnight. One of my hobbies is not putting pictures in my blog. It takes such a loooong time (say this in a whiny voice). It’s such haaaaard work. I tend to really procrastinate when I’m working on a post that is picture-heavy.

But because I love you so much and because I am such a devoted hobbyist I am back in business. I am ready to post pictures of my family’s favorite hobby of mine: baking. I’m an OK cook. I’ve got some good recipes, but it’s not my passion. Sugar is my passion. And baking usually means sugar.

A few years ago when we lived in Utah we visited the State Fair. I was fascinated by the food competition. Oh those blue ribbons caught my eye, yes they did. I will get one of those someday, I thought.

I entered my raspberry jam the following year and won a blue ribbon. The next year I entered my Pecan Honeypots and won another blue ribbon. (The year after that I had a colicky baby and entered nothing.) Finally I made the move to win the Grand Prize; to win the big fancy ribbon and be crowned The Cookie Making Champion of Utah.

It was very, very hard work. I made cookies for 24 hours straight. I wanted that ribbon (What can I say? I have had a long life of winning nothing.)

I won.

One of my winning blue-ribbon recipes was for these dandy little cookies called Chocolate Peanut Butter Pots. They are terribly easy and terribly rich. Basically the perfect cookie for a bake sale. Kids love anything cute and it doesn’t matter if they are too sweet. I made of batch of these last Friday in order to show you how to make them yourselves. I had a jillion things going on that day and by the time I got around to photographing the finished cookies, my family had eaten all but three. The three ugliest ones, of course. (I don’t need to tell you that stern words were spoken to all family members about this. Just because they live here doesn’t mean that they can eat the food. From now on anything attractive is off limits. As if anyone was actually listening to my crazy rant at that point.) But I signed up to make these cookies again for a bake sale a few days later, so I finally ended up with a decent picture.

These are the ingredients you’ll need:

(You’ll need sugar and vanilla too, but they were feeling a bit shy and didn’t want to be photographed.)

You’ll also need one of these (It’s a mini muffin pan in case you have never seen one before):

First you’ll need to make up the dough. It’s basically a super tender peanut butter cookie. Roll the dough into a ball the size of a very big grape and place one ball in each spot in the muffin pan.

While the cookies are in the oven you’ll need to unwrap 40 or so mini peanut butter cups. I recommend hiring one of these for unwrapping (they can be paid in peanut butter cups):

The second the cookies come out of the oven, you’ll need to press one peanut butter cup into each cookie. After a minute or so wiggle each peanut butter cup around to remove those funky little edges.

After another couple of minutes insert a chip (either butterscotch or white chocolate, not potato!), with the point facing down. This isn’t necessary but it gives the cookie a cute bullseye look.

Try not to eat these around people with peanut allergies or their heads might explode.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pots

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firm

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbs. milk

40 mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Sift together first three dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream together both butters and both sugars til fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and milk.

Add flour mixture and mix well.

Shape into 40 small balls (about the size of a very large grape) and place each into ungreased mini muffin pan.

Bake at 375º for 7 minutes (do not overbake!)

Remove from oven and immediately press a peanut butter cup into each. (optional: after peanut butter cups have melted, place one white chocolate or butterscotch chip, pointy-side down, in the center of each cookie.)

Your blue ribbons look nice on display–is that the inside of one of your kitchen cabinets? I wish I had packed some mini muffin pans over here. I haven't seen Reese's PB cups here either, or I would make your tasty recipe this minute! Maybe I'll try to pb dough just for fun. Thanks, Jennie. I love when you post food pics and recipes on your blog. You're an awesome cook!

Jennie, I can't believe I have known you since forever, and have never ONCE either seen or tasted these cookies! ESPECIALLY since I am a peanut-butter cup nut! Where was I when you were winning blue ribbons for them?

They look fantastic! (And having finally seen your knitting photos, so do you!)

I found your recipe through a link on another site and made these this weekend for a Halloween treat for friends. They are easy to make and so good…my favorite combination! Instead of choc. chips for the center bullseye I used Reese Pieces–you can never have too much chocolate and peanut butter. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!